Marriage failures begin on newspaper pages—Liz Da Silva

• Says, ‘ I dread controversies’
Nollywood actress, Elizabeth Omowunmi Tekovi Da Silva popularly known as Liz da Silva in this interview with Showtime Celebrity in a recent event in Lekki reveals some interesting things about her life but also declares that she is scared of controversies.

You have been scarce lately especially in movies. What’s going on?
Are you suggesting that you see all movies that hit the marketers’ shelves every week to have concluded that I am scarce? Well, you don’t expect me to be in all movies, do you? I appear in movies that demands my talent and services and of course that guaranties my pay. Again, I don’t survive on movies alone.

So what else do you do?
I am into clothings and fashion. I deal on African fabrics. I mean African materials like Ankara, Adire, Aso Oke and so on. I sell them and also design them. I shuttle between Lagos and the neighbouring West African countries where I also do my business. I also travel abroad to market my products on demand.

How do you cope doing this business and shuttling between Lagos, West coast and movie locations?
Now, you can understand or appreciate why I must not be in all movies. I try because we are talking money here. Once, I am invited for a movie job, I try to workout my schedule to fit into the program of the producers. Though, I have a couple of persons helping me out in my clothing business. So when I am free from movie jobs, I join them and once I am on a location they continue the job.
Liz Da Silva

How do you combine all these with your family?
Family is family, business is business. None should affect the other because you need money from your business to take care of your family. It is always important to workout things to avoid clash of interests.

Let’s talk about your family …
Please, kindly accept my appeal, I don’t discuss my family or personal life on the pages of newspapers. I dread controversies.

Why?
You must agree with me that most broken relationships or marriages start from the pages of newspapers. That is why I hardly grant interviews. I am doing this just because of the event we are attending, the personality of the person we are here to honour and the environment we are. I dread the media so much for fear of being misquoted or misinterpreted. More so, I am a very shy and private person.

How is your son, Abdulrahman doing?
Oh, you know so much about me, so why the interview? My son is doing well. Thank you.

And his father?
You are probing too far and deep. Let’s keep the issue around me please.

You once said for one billion naira, you would act nude in movie, do you still stand by that statement?
Do you have the money ready? Like you know I am an actress and a professional for that matter. I get paid for my job, so you wouldn’t advice me to strip naked for peanuts, do you? I must say this issue was raised in a separate interview with one of your colleagues who blew it beyond proportion and it became a controversy. You can also understand why I say I dread controversies because you never can tell where and how it will end.
Do you regret the statement?
No of course.
You have your annual Africulture Show. What’s your plan for this year?
We are still working on the logistics. It used to be Ankara Day until I changed it to Africulture to capture my dream and also widen the word Ankara. We look out for sponsors to help in putting up a great show as usual. I hope this year’s show will be another huge success.
The Show is another means of appreciating the society, how do you plan to touch lives this year?
Like you already know, the Show comes up 27th of December every year. From the proceeds, we randomly select and pick less privileged children from the streets based on the areas we had planned to visit and we give them both items and cash. We are hoping to take it to the next level which is scholarships to indigent children but it all depends on the support we get from the private and public sectors and of course well meaning Nigerians.
Most of your colleagues have taken to music to add value to their acting job, are you thinking along that line?
You don’t do things because someone else has done it. You don’t work with people’s time, talent or passion. You try to carve a niche for yourself with your own time, talent and passion. Like I said earlier, I am into fashion or African fabrics. I also run a foundation which the Africulture is part of. It is what I love doing. I also cook a lot. If you have an event for instance and you need great delicacies of African touch and class of excellence, I am at your service. I can sing too but not to the point of going into music yet. Not for now at least. I am not thinking along that line.
How do you wade off male fans who make advances to you?
In my profession, you just cannot run away from the fact that loads of admirers want to convert their admiration into something similar to love. They are both different and you must know this as an adult and as a professional. So you must endeavor to draw a thick line between both. The question you must ask yourself is, how many lovers would I have if I listen to them all or take them serious. So, it is only natural that you politely, tell them thanks for the interest in me, but, sorry, I cannot help you.
What is your greatest challenge in acting?
Trying to meet up the standard of character whose role one is playing. You could be asked to play the character of a mad woman, a widow or a prostitute. These are different characters with unique identities which require special traits. So doing your best to fit into that role and satisfying your producers, directors and of course your teeming fans out there is always a challenge to me, I try to give my best at all times.